He said to her: "Mention my name and say: If this man had eaten even one morsel of food, then let me sink in the water. Otherwise let me cross over safely."

In this manner she crossed the river. Arriving back she asked her husband: "Why is it that you being a father of children have spoken a lie by denying having relations with me? And why is it that the saintly man had eaten the whole plate of food before my eyes and yet denied having eaten anything?"

The husband replied: "Whatever I have done was done on the command of Allah not out of the desires of my self. And whatever he had done, was done in answer to a Divine Com­mand wherein his self had no share. On the other hand whatever the world does is done to satisfy one's desires. We do not fall in the category of those whom the world looks upon as being married people enjoying conjugal relations and feasting."

It is not certain that this story is the same as the other one or that it is the same story told in another form. There may be many similar stories. Even among the Sahaba Radiallahu Anhum there are many well-known stories telling about them walking on water and driving their horses through raging flood waters.

Having reached so far, mention was made in the after Asr majlis about Shah Ilmullah of Rae Bareilly. A story of him was told of how a discussion took place about Hazrat Bayazid Bustami Rahmatullah Alayh. Hazrat Bayazid was going somewhere when his path was blocked by a river. As he reached it, there suddenly appeared a clear path across. Hazrat Khwaja Saheb said: "This is a test from Allah!" Then he made dua asking Allah to return the river to its former state and he will turn back, or choose another route. He said: "I am afraid of this test."

The narrator said: "If this saint among saints had such fear at the appearance of karaamat, and was so fearful of Allah's power, then how much more should not other lesser saints fear? It is the duty of every seeker after the truth to beg Allah only to be Allah conscious and to be in His presence and to be involved with His remembrance."

"Everything which diverts your attention from Allah, is an idol to you."

On having mentioned the above story I recall an incident about my teacher, mentor and guide Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saheb. With my elders there was never any special atten­tion given to the working of miracles or the bringing about of miraculous deeds. On the contrary they always tried to stop such happenings.

I had a very close friend who is slightly older than me and had studied under my father in Gangoh as one of my fathers most diligent students. They were a sizeable group of between twenty and twenty five boys in Arabic studies. Those in Persian and Quran studies were over one hundred. When in 1328 Hijri he decided to take up permanent residence in Mazahirul Uloom, Saharanpur, they all came here with him and completed their studies in Mazahir. After completing their courses they became mureeds through bay'at of my late Sheikh for their inner spiritual training and cleansing.

Among them was Maulana Abdur Rahman Saheb who became the Imam of a mosque at Kasai i near Shimla. From there he wrote to Hazrat telling him of his well-developed spiritual condition. Because I used to write Hazrat's letters I became quite aware of the spiritual progress and conditions of friends. May Allah grant Maulana Abdur Rahman a high place in the hereafter. In one long letter he explained to Hazrat about many miraculous happenings in which he was involved as well as many visions and revealings. As I read the letter to Hazrat he became very happy and pleased saying that this young man has reached up to the fourth heaven.

My surprise was tremendous when in reply Hazrat made me write to him: "Apart from the compulsory prayers and the Sunnats attached to them, suspend all nafal prayers, zikrs and wirds." I was completely dumbstruck at this reply.

Similar incidents happened to all our elders. When my late uncle used to write to Hazrat Saheb about such revelations and miraculous happenings concerning himself, Hazrat wrote to him in similar vein, instead of giving further encouragement: One should not pay attention to such things as these things can be an interference to spiritual progress.

I then also told Maulana Ra-eesul-Ahraar Saheb that I have heard many such stories since my childhood or from the lessons of my late father, who had a habit of relating such incidents during classes. One such story will appear when we come to the issue of Fat-hul-qadeer. When we studied Mishkat by him the above story was told by him explaining a certain hadeeth.

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said in a hadeeth quoted in Mishkat in the chapter dealing with Salatul­Duhaa:

"There are three hundred and sixty joints in the body. When in the morning a person wakes up healthy and safe, he has to give a sadaqah for the health and safety of every joint (by way of thanksgiving). Uttering `Sub-hanallah' is one sadaqah. To say Alhamdu-lillah' once is one sadaqah. To say ilaha Wallah', is one sadaqah."

To command righteousness is a sadaqah. To remove any obstacle from the path is a sadaqah. For a man to have conjugal relations with his wife is a sadaqah. And to perform two rak'ahs salaah for Duhaa stands in place of the sadaqah for all the three hundred and sixty joints."

This is so because in salaah all the joints are brought into action. Therefore two rak'ah stands in place of sadaqah for all the various joints. The Sahaba Radiallahu Anhum inquired: "Ya Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam! How is it that it is sadaqah if man fulfills his passions in sexual relations with his wife?"

(Note: May Allah reward the Sahaba Radiallahu anhum well. They asked questions whenever any doubt existed and in the answers received the whole Ummat benefited).

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam replied: "If that water is deposited in a wrong place, (not permissible for it) and (performs fornication or adultery) then tell me will it not be a sin."

They replied: "Yes it will be a sin."

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said: "Hence if in order to avoid sin, a person has conjugal relations with his wife, why should he not be rewarded?"

Corroboration of this theme has also been found in many hadeeth. Allah's grace and mercy and the blessings of His beloved Rasul Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, are indeed innumerable and countless. If we trample these favours under our feet, not paying attention to them, it is merely our own loss.

Couplet:

"Ask Moosa Alayhis Salaam regarding this deen of Allah He went to fetch fire and received prophethood."

Look at this! In sincerity Nabi Moosa Alayhis Salaam went to look for fire and is endowed with the honour of prophethood. There is a well-known saying of my father, which I have heard numerous times: "To follow the Sunnat with the niyat of following it while proceeding to relieve yourself in the toilet is better than to perform nafal salaah in a manner contrary to the Sunnat."

This then, is the thing with which I have introduced this subject.

NOTE:

I have mentioned Maulana Habibur Rahman Saheb, the Ra­ees of the Ahraar in the beginning of this book. It will be a great injustice to him if I should neglect to write the end of the story. Initially there was great enmity between us, but later through the barakat of Hazrat Shah Abdul Qadir Saheb, great love developed between us. I have already referred to it. In the end he expressed the intense desire to come and stay with me in Saharanpur.

He also asked that he be allowed to leave his young sons in my care, but in-spite of his persistence and devotion to me, I had to refuse. Thereafter he begged Hazrat Raipuri to use his influence and press upon me to agree but I said to Hazrat: "These are the children of Ra-eesul Ahraar. I have no connection with them."

Maulana insisted: "Don't worry, all the conditions you may lay down for their acceptance will be accepted. Hazrat will guarantee that."

I finally laid down four main conditions of acceptance:

No. 1. That they will not under any circumstances be allowed to read newspapers. If ever any complaint reached me in this regard it will be As Salaam Alaykum tothem.

No. 2. They will not be allowed to attend a Jalsa, even if it be to listen to a lecture by their father or by Maulana Shah Bukhary or by Hazrat Madani and even if I should personally also attend the Jalsa. And even if for some reason or other I should give permission then still they will not be allowed to attend.

Maulana accepted both these conditions with great glee and joy. They should definitely not be allowed to attend any lectures or public addresses by myself and Shah-ji. Politics is like a child in our house. After their completion of their studies here, I will be able to teach them politics in two months time.

No. 3. They will not be allowed to leave the madressa without my permission.

No. 4. They will not be allowed to have contact with other students - neither friendly relations nor bad relations, neither bonds of love nor of enmity.

May Allah give Aziz great reward. I shall always be very grateful to him that he obeyed the first two conditions very diligently beyond my expectations. So much so that after a couple of years when I considered it not to be harmful I gave permission to attend the public speeches of the above mentioned three personalities and this permission was earnestly and sincerely given, he still refused to go saying: "It is my duty to carry out a promise."

NEW BOOK

99 INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF HAZRAT SHEIKHMOULANA IBRAHIM MIA رحمة لله علیھ Hazrat Sheikh Moulana Ibrahim Mia رحمة لله علیھ , khalifa of Hazrat SheikhZakariyya Khandelvi رحمة لله علیھ dedicated his life to the desire of his Sheikh,i.e. the establishment of the Majaalis of Zikr. To this end, Hazrat travelledextensively and spread the nur of zikrullah and inspired many people tochange their lives.

This book is a collection of interesting anecdotes and lessons as experiencedand narrated by Hazrat’s mureedeen.